24.05.2026 Avatar

Deutsche Bank Park, Frankfurt (Germany)

A day of rest after the spectacular start to the No‑Repeat Weekend was welcome, especially since Sunday was still extremely warm. Everyone was eager to see whether this day could surpass the previous one. At the very least, the atmosphere was noticeably better from the start compared to Friday, when the crowd had been much more reserved during the opening acts. This time, Avatar were able to enter the ring of the 360° stage in front of a stadium already about two‑thirds full.
Right from the first song, “In The Airwaves” from their newly released album “Don’t Go In The Forest”, it was clear they intended to tear the stadium down. And the crowd followed willingly. It was a great sight to see singer Johannes Eckerström, guitarists Jonas Jarlsby and Tim Öhrström, bassist Henrik Sandelin, and drummer John Alfredsson whipping their manes around in perfect sync. A straight 10 out of 10 for style points. Eckerström, as always, wore his striking clown makeup and extravagant outfit. His charismatic presence once again captivated everyone. The band, Alfredsson aside, made good use of the ring, ensuring that everyone in the stadium got a moment with them. The show felt incredibly tight and well‑executed. Little touches added to the entertainment value: Eckerström’s obligatory gasoline canister from which he drinks, or the poor roadie kneeling in front of Alfredsson with a cymbal mounted on his helmet so the drummer could strike it at the perfect moment. It was wonderfully entertaining.
Speaking of entertaining: about halfway through the set, Eckerström addressed the audience to thank them for coming and to express how incredibly grateful the band was to open for giants like Pantera and Metallica. The most impressive part, however, was that he delivered this speech in flawless German which was something I absolutely did not expect. Toward the end of the set, the crowd’s energy kept rising, and during “Smells Like A Freakshow” from the 2012 album “Black Waltz” and the closing “Hail The Apocalypse” from the 2014 album of the same name, the audience sang and celebrated loudly. Unfortunately, after just a little more than 30 minutes, the band left the stage, not even using their full allotted time.
Still, Avatar truly proved this afternoon that they have firmly arrived among the heavyweights of the genre and can effortlessly turn a massive arena like the Waldstadion into one big party. It certainly helped that, compared to Friday, far more people were already present and the atmosphere was on a completely different level from the very first notes of the day. Another big plus was that the sound was already much better balanced from the first band onward, matching Metallica’s level from Friday. It really whetted the appetite for more and was a fantastic start to the day. Since the guys will be touring solo again toward the end of the year, it will be a perfect opportunity to see them for a longer set. In my opinion, that’s an opportunity you definitely shouldn’t miss.